Lorlyn
A market island bordering Valmasia's coastline, that sells a great many magical items. From dungeon relics to enchanted weapons, Lorlyn's supply is vast. Population Primarily merchants and their customers, all species can be found here if they can afford it; except yokai. History Founded centuries ago by an aspiring explorer Fenathel Lorlyn and his crew, the island began as a tiny village which quickly bloomed into something more Many of the greatest mages of their age had come with Lorlyn on his journey in the hopes of making a name for themselves in history. The rare herbs and gems found on the island kick-started its fame, allowing the wise alchemists to create powerful concoctions and draw those from Valmasia to their village while charging exorbitant prices. This was so successful that other individuals started setting up stalls. After all, the potion perusers might want food, so stalls were erected. They may need a place to sleep while bidding, so an inn was made. Most had far too much money than was particularly healthy, and loved to waste it on curiosities, so artificers were quick to establish a front. Decades past and Lorlyn quickly became known as the magical market of Valmasia-- a rather small island which held enough magical artifacts and mages to put a kings retinue to shame. It has since remained independent, never once having been conquered by an outside force. Few have tried, and any actual attempt has been historically deemed too costly to be worth owning the land. Land Several small islands dot Valmasia's coastline, some barely out of reach of the barrier and thus subject to rather cruel storms, other faring reasonably better. The majority of these islands remained unexplored and if there are people living on them, they don't care to trouble the mainland. One of the exceptions is the small island of Lorlyn. Politics Passage to Lorlyn is not cheap, and once you arrive you are almost certain to stay longer than you intended due to the auction-esque nature of the purchases there. Becoming an apprentice to some of the masters of trade is an even more bankrupting notion, though there's likely no better place in Valmasia to improve your craft. The current lords of Lorlyn guard their secrets jealously, such that neither the Melym dynasty nor the short lived Sakete revolution were able to pressure anything out of the small island. Despite its small population, the number of mages and magical artifacts as well as its location out to sea make it nigh unconquerable. The current lords of Lorlyn all specialize in various areas. There is the Keeper of Trinkets, working away forever more in the artificery alongside their students to create various useful, unique or simply enticing objects to distribute to the wealthy. Every new idea, every fresh thought that you might dream has likely already crossed the illustrious minds of those who work the artificery. The Grand Alchemist is rumoured to not have seen natural daylight for almost a decade, sending their subordinates to gather ingredients from the island-- a quickly dwindling option as more and more potions were required-- or otherwise trade for them with the mainland. Their fingers are nimble and practised, and in their thoughts a thousand possible combinations forever toil as they work towards their next ingenious potion. Working endlessly upon the bellows of his smith is the Master of the Forge, a man of muscle as tough as the enchanted metal he melds. His works, and the works of his ancestors, represent some of the finest weapons in Valmasia while the enchanters whom accompany him have no equal in manipulating a weapon in almost any way imaginable. Most of the enchanters, however, remain in their own quarters with the self-proclaimed 'Earl of Enchantments', a rather eccentric and cracked individual known more for their humour than anything. Nevertheless their enchantments and that of their disciples are wonderful things. Most enchanters work with the other areas of the market, lending their talent to the other lords so that their creations might shine brighter, but they have been known to offer their own services once in a while. Last and often discounted as least-- a mistake that people tend to quickly discover-- is the owner of the Smiling Yokai Inn. Though they don't bare any fancy titles, the innkeeper is often privy to the most useful information of all Valmasia-- and has the contacts to get those with enough crowns in on the action. Rumours flow like wine at the counter, and in some cases the latter is just as expensive as the former. Finally, it provides the only reputable place to stay at the island, having capacity for up to a hundred guests at a time. Black Market That's where the official services of the island stop. But for those with a darker side to them, those whom have had bad run-ins with various kings and found themselves imprisoned or slapped with a million crown bounty, there's more to Lorlyn just beneath the surface-- literally. If you know who to talk to, even the magical wonders of Lorlyn begin to pale in comparison to the far more varied-- and far less legal-- wares and services provided by the Rat King. A weedy man whom rarely meets in person, he controls the underground market of Lorlyn and thus holds a basic monopoly on almost every extremely powerful and illegal items that might cross to Valmasia. This can range from dubious potions to assassination contracts and everything inbetween. Although the Lorlyn lords do not publically acknowledge the existance of the sixth merchant king, it seems far-fetched that they are completely unaware of what goes on. Rumours spark of deals between them, but not much else is known. Suffice to say that the average visitor to Lorlyn-- which is an odd term, as typically only the rich visit the island-- will have no clue that the wayward 'King' even exists.